North Carolina

Condemned to death—and solitary confinement

Arizona death row inmate Scott Nordstrom lives alone in a room smaller than a parking space. He’s allowed to leave his cell a few times each week to shower or exercise alone in a similarly-sized mesh cage and is forbidden from making physical contact with visitors from the outside. But…

Jul 27, 2017 10:27 AM CDT

F. Leary Davis, founding dean of two law schools, dies at age 75

The only person believed to be the founding dean of two law schools has died at the age of 75. F. Leary Davis Jr. died Thursday from leukemia and Hodgkin’s lymphoma at UNC Hospitals in Chapel Hill, North Carolina, the Greensboro News & Record reports. Davis was named dean of…

Jul 24, 2017 3:01 PM CDT

Reports that family of Trump lawyer Sekulow got millions from his nonprofit leads to states’ review

Two state attorneys general say they will review the operations of a group run by lawyer Jay Sekulow following reports that the nonprofit funneled millions of dollars to the lawyer, his family and businesses they run. North Carolina Attorney General Josh Stein and New York Attorney General Eric Schneiderman told…

Jun 29, 2017 10:31 AM CDT

Bill would overturn state high court ruling that women can’t revoke consent after sex begins

A North Carolina lawmaker says he wants to overturn a “crazy loophole” in state law that is denying justice to women when they revoke consent to sex. Democratic State Sen. Jeff Jackson of Mecklenburg County is sponsor of a bill that would make it a crime to continue intercourse after…

Jun 28, 2017 8:00 AM CDT

10 Questions: Judge and former NFL player Dwayne Woodruff

Judge Dwayne D. Woodruff, a former professional football player—and Super Bowl champion—Woodruff went to law school full-time while he played defensive back for the Pittsburgh Steelers. Now, after more than a decade on the court bench, Woodruff is running for a seat on the state supreme court.

Jun 1, 2017 4:00 AM CDT

Former judge gets probation for offering beer and $100 for his wife’s texts to an FBI agent

A former judge in North Carolina has avoided prison time for offering cases of beer and $100 cash to obtain his wife’s text messages from an FBI task force officer. Former Judge Arnold Ogden Jones II of Wayne County was sentenced to probation on Wednesday, report The Associated Press, the…

May 18, 2017 3:37 PM CDT

Microsoft’s new deputy GC will lead efforts on privacy, cybersecurity

Julie Brill, the longtime consumer advocate and former member of the Federal Trade Commission, will join Microsoft Corp. this summer to lead its privacy and regulatory affairs group, Law.com reported Friday. Brill’s title will be Deputy General Counsel for Privacy and Regulatory Affairs, according to a Microsoft corporate blog. She…

May 2, 2017 7:00 AM CDT

North Carolina governor signs repeal of controversial bathroom bill

Updated: The North Carolina General Assembly on Thursday voted to repeal a law that requires schools and other government-controlled facilities to restrict multiple-occupancy bathrooms to people of the same biological sex. North Carolina Gov. Roy Cooper said that he has signed the bill, CNN and the Associated Press report. “For…

Mar 30, 2017 1:08 PM CDT

North Carolina is first state to require all lawyers to reveal innocence evidence after conviction

North Carolina has adopted an ethics rule that requires lawyers in private practice, as well as prosecutors, to reveal evidence of innocence that they discover after a conviction. Bruce Green, a professor at the Fordham University School of Law, told the Associated Press that North Carolina is the first state…

Mar 30, 2017 12:32 PM CDT

Prosecutors accused by ex-church members of thwarting abuse cases no longer working for DA’s office

Updated: Two assistant district attorneys, a social worker and other lawyers who are or were members of a secretive evangelical sect in North Carolina helped thwart repeated investigations by authorities into beatings of congregants—including children—to cast out devils, raising serious ethical and potentially criminal violations, according to an extensive Associated…

Mar 6, 2017 1:38 PM CST

ABA scores wins on attorney-client privilege and independence of the legal profession

The ABA achieved some significant victories during the past year by advocating for revisions to key federal regulations that will protect the independence of the legal profession and preserve the confidential lawyer-client relationship.

Mar 1, 2017 1:05 AM CST

Legal assistant claims she was fired for reporting alleged scheme by DAs to hire each other’s wives

A legal assistant in North Carolina has filed a whistleblower suit claiming she was fired for telling state investigators about an alleged scheme by two district attorneys to hire each other’s wives. Debra Halbrook claims District Attorney Wallace Bradsher of Person and Caswell counties fired her last month after he…

Feb 23, 2017 8:00 AM CST

State bar can’t discipline judge already reprimanded by judicial regulator, top state court rules

The North Carolina State Bar can’t pursue an ethics complaint for a judge’s conduct that already resulted in a reprimand by the state’s Judicial Standards Commission, the North Carolina Supreme Court has ruled. The court ruled in the case of Judge Jerry Tillett of Dare County in a Dec. 21…

Jan 6, 2017 10:47 AM CST

8 strategies for constructing your new law firm

It’s 2017, and we are all cyborgs. Don’t believe me? What’s the capital of Kyrgyzstan? You just thought about reaching for your smartphone—your auxiliary brain—to look it up, didn’t you? Instant knowledge is unremarkable in 2017, which is solid evidence that we are living in the future.

Jan 1, 2017 1:30 AM CST

Despite attempted compromise, bill to repeal North Carolina’s bathroom law fails

A repeal of North Carolina’s “bathroom bill” law regarding which public restrooms people who are transgender may use was blocked Wednesday by the state senate, after politicians could not come to an agreement. The law, known as House Bill 2, has cost the state a significant amount of money in…

Dec 22, 2016 12:55 PM CST